


The Family That's Castaways Together, Stays Together

by MercuryWells



Series: Family Space is a Loving Place [1]
Category: Final Space (Cartoon)
Genre: A little bit of angst, A little but of fluff, Dealing With Trauma, Fits into canon if you stuff it in hard enough, Found Family, M/M, Panic Attacks, Quarantine inspired, Some much needed talks, bottle episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23282578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercuryWells/pseuds/MercuryWells
Summary: The Crimson Light crash lands on an alien planet, and it may be a long time before they're able to leave. Stuck in a small area around the crash site, the crew has no choice but to get to know each other better.
Relationships: Ash Graven & Fox & Little Cato (Final Space), Avocato & Little Cato (Final Space), Avocato/Gary Goodspeed, Gary Goodspeed & Little Cato, Gary Goodspeed & Sheryl Goodspeed
Series: Family Space is a Loving Place [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1753054
Comments: 66
Kudos: 171





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the fact that I'm stuck in this house with four other people I get along with to varying degrees for the foreseeable future lol 
> 
> This was going to be a one-shot. But then I hit 4k words and fried my brain.
> 
> Slight canon divergence. Avocato is saved from possession well before Nightfall sacrifices herself. Probably some other stuff I missed but I'm not good at writing within the confines of canon.

_─── Day 1 ───_

Gary awoke slowly from a hazy fog. Alarms blared as red lights flashed intermittently. He felt like he had run into a brick wall, which judging from his position laying haphazardly against the wall of the bridge, wasn’t too far from the truth.

He shook off the pain as he rose. On the other side of the bridge Little Cato lay unconscious. Shit.

“Little Cato! Hey! Wake up little buddy!” He shouted as he cradled the small Ventrexian in his arms. This was probably not proper medical procedure. Huh. He should read up on that if he was going to be captain.

Little Cato’s eyes slowly blinked open, looking up at the man holding him. “Gary?” he croaked.

“Oh thank god you’re alright! Or, as alright as can be expected. How are ya feeling Spider Cat?”

“Like I got trampled by a Zygolian ragebeast,” Little Cato replied with a moan, earning him a soft smile.

As Gary helped his son to his feet Avocato ran into the room with a distressed expression on his face. “Is everyone okay?” he demanded as he surveyed the situation. He ran to Little Cato, frantically checking his injuries.

“I’m fine, by the way,” Gary said at the same time Little Cato tried to shove Avocato off with a sullen, “Jeez dad, I’m alright.”

“Uh-huh,” was all the Avocato said as he continued to fuss over his son.

“AVA, what was that?” Gary asked at the ceiling of the bridge.

“Processing.... It appears that we hit an ion storm while attempting to leave the atmosphere,” replied the perennially calm voice of the ship’s AI. “We crash landed on the surface of the Persekkia IV.”

“What’s our status?”

“Life support is fully functional. Moderate damage to the hull of the Crimson Light. Engines are non-operational. They will require replacement parts and a restart.”

“Can we send a distress signal?”

“We can try, but a distress signal is unlikely to penetrate the ion storm.”

“Biscuits! Are we trapped on this planet?” Gary tried not to panic. It was a big ask. The planet was remote, and there was no inhabiting civilization that might help.

“Running Diagnostics…. It would appear that the necessary replacement parts can be salvaged from elsewhere on the ship. However, we won’t be able to safely restart the engines until the ion storm has passed,” AVA provided.

“So we _are_ stuck! Just probably not for very long. Ok. Relax, Gary. We can do this.” He was not remaining calm. No. He was the complete opposite of calm. Shit. He was going to die on this ship and there was nothing he could do about it. After everything he’d been through, this was how he was going out?

Just as he could feel his breaths hitching and his vision narrowed, he felt a hand land on each shoulder. “Hey, Gary. Gary!” a distant voice urgently called out to him. He felt a hand on his cheek. Then another on his chest.

“It’s gonna be alright, dad! Just breathe! Count with me. One. Two. Three. Four. Breathe out. One. Two. Three. Four. Breathe in.” This continued for a few moments until Gary came to.

“Wow. That was embarrassing,” Gary chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Don’t be,” Little Cato said. “It happens to me too.”

“Even me,” Avocato added, earning glances from the other two. “What?” he said defensively.

“It’s. I didn’t know. You never said anything,” Gary said softly.

The three of them were saved from their uncomfortable conversation by Sheryl, who strode onto the bridge with Fox and Ash in tow. “What happened?”

“Ion Storm,” Avocato supplied. “We’re going to be stuck here until it passes.”

“Any idea how long?”

“Inconclusive,” AVA said. “It could be minutes. It could be days.”

“Well this isn’t the worst sitch I’ve been in. We’ll get through this,” Sheryl said confidently. She looked at the three of them. “Well? I’m sure there’s stuff that needs fixing. Get to work!” She smiled as they ran off, arguing over who was responsible for what. Good. They’d need the distraction.

_─── Day 4 ───_

“How are things looking?” Avocato asked as he walked onto the bridge. Sheryl was sitting in the captain’s chair, presumably monitoring the raging storm outside. It hadn’t let up in the three days they had been stuck on the planet.

“Same as usual,” Sheryl drawled.

“Want a relief?” Avocato offered.

Sheryl shook her head. “I’m good here. I like the quiet. I’m still not used to-” she waved her hand “-all of this.”

“Still avoiding your son?” Avocato asked with a hint of a growl, giving voice to his suspicions.

Sheryl frowned. “That’s fair. I know what you and your son have been through. Gary has filled me in on most of that stuff. But things between me and Gary are not the same.”

She turned to look Avocato fully in the eyes. “I know what you think of me. And you have every right to your opinions. But for the longest time I didn’t want him in my life. He was a reminder of what I had lost. I know that’s no excuse. I can be honest about at least that much. But it’s not like I can just flip a switch. Forget everything that’s happened. Just leave it in the past. And I’m sure Gary feels the same way.”

“Gary just wants his mother,” Avocato said plaintively.

“I know he does. But there’s a lot of healing needing to be done. And it’s not going to happen overnight.” She turned back to the console. “Why don’t you check in on Gary? From what I’ve seen, you two seem mighty close.”

Avocato absolutely did not blush at the implication. “Sure,” he said, and turned around, not needing to continue that line of inquiry any further.

He was aware he was being manipulated, but he couldn’t bring himself to care too much. Sheryl was right. Avocato had grown to care deeply for Gary. Looking back, it had happened sooner than he realized. There was something about the human that he found magnetic. Sure, Gary was a goof. But he was surprisingly competent as a leader as well as being a good friend. Avocato hadn’t had many of those.

And maybe he wanted to be more than friends with Gary? It was a little confusing. How much of his feelings were due to the constant pressure to survive? Would he still feel the same way after all of this was over? As he walked down the corridor his stomach rumbled, knocking him out of his thoughts. Food. That’s what he needed right now.

He walked into the mess hall to see Gary and Little Cato lobbing popcorn at each other and trying to catch it with their mouths. He rolled his eyes as he started to prepare himself a sandwich. But he was inwardly grateful to see that Gary seemed to be doing alright. His son too for that matter.

Speaking of: “Gary, I’m starting to become concerned about the influence you’re having on my son.” His tone was more severe than he intended.

“What? We’re not doing anything wrong?” Gary asked defensively.

Avocato didn’t fail to see the way Little Cato tensed at the accusation. Shit, he had been pretty demanding of his son all these years, pushing him to be the best he could be. Only now did he realize he never gave his son the chance to be the _child_ he was supposed to be.

He decided to try for levity. “You’re playing with your food. And no doubt making a mess in the process.”

Gary huffed. “C’mon, man. Let us have a little fun,” Gary pouted. He slumped over the dining table. Little Cato threw a kernel at him. He caught it expertly on his tongue.

“Goooooooooooooooal!” Little Cato shouted at the top of his lungs, causing Avocato to flinch.

“I’m so borrrred,” Gary whined.

Little Cato flopped melodramatically onto the table, mirroring Gary. “Me tooooooo.”

Avocato felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight. Little Cato had had Gary as a father figure for so little time, yet already seemed to be taking after him in a way that had Avocato feeling in a way he didn’t have the words for. Of course, this was mostly on him. He hadn’t been the best father for his boy. But after being given both a second and a third chance, he was determined to change that. He couldn’t understand why Sheryl didn’t feel the same way.

“Then let’s play cards,” Avocato suggested as he put the sandwich fixings back. It would be an opportunity to connect with both Gary and his son without putting too much pressure on either of them individually.

Gary perked up at that. “Now there’s an idea!”

And that was how the three of them got sucked into an epic six hour long cards and snacks bender. Gary learned just how competitive Little Cato could be. Little Cato learned that his dad was secretly a card shark. Avocato learned that too much sugar had a similar effect on Gary as too much alcohol, and spent the rest of the night half-heartedly fending off a very handsy Gary (“you’re so soffffffft, Brovocato. Abrocato? Avocabro?”.) And hoping that his son didn’t notice just how much he didn’t mind the attention.

_─── Day 7 ───_

Thank whatever higher power that was in charge of guiding their fates that the planet had an abundance native flora and fauna. And that some of it was actually edible to humans and Ventrexians alike. Unfortunately, it wasn’t safe to venture more than a couple hundred feet from the ship, for lack of communications and fear of someone getting lost, so options were limited.

The crew of the Crimson Light settled into a routine. Spend the day gathering food and supplies to sustain themselves. Eat. Spend the evening making whatever repairs and upkeep were necessary. Eat. Entertain themselves. Sleep. Rinse and repeat.

There was definitely going to be a long adjustment period for everyone to acclimate to the new normal. But so far everyone seemed to be doing their part with minimal fuss.

Sheryl was returning to the Crimson Light from an extended walk (i.e. walking in circles around the crash site) to clear her mind when she saw Little Cato performing maintenance on the hull of the ship. The young Ventrexian had his face screwed up in a look of concentration as he worked. He hummed to himself, deftly untightening a bolt and then a second before peeling back a piece of plate.

“You’re really good at that,” Sheryl said as she approached.

Little Cato started. “Oh, hey grandma,” he said before he could catch himself. He winced. “Sorry, Gary’s mom.”

Sheryl didn’t know what to say to that. When had she gotten old enough to be called such a thing? “Is… is that how you think of me?”

“Kinda? I guess?” Little Cato seemed to be fishing for his response. “I mean. Gary is my dad. And you’re his mom. So you’re kinda technically my grandma?”

“Huh.” Sheryl didn’t know how she felt about that. Not only did she now have her son back in her life, but she also had a grandson? That… was a big milestone. At least, she assumed she should feel that way. “And how did Gary come to have a son?”

“Oh. He adopted me,” the boy said like it was the simplest thing in the universe.

“He adopted you.”

“Yeah. I was in a bad place at the time. Running with a gang of thieves and murderers.” Little Cato said the next part pointedly, “Thought I could run away from my problems.”

Sheryl grimaced at that.

“But Gary brought me back,” Little Cato continued as if he didn’t notice. “He’s pretty awesome like that. He doesn’t judge people for making mistakes or having baggage. Just accepts them for who they are.”

It was obvious that Little Cato was talking about her. Damn. Everyone really was on her son’s side. Everything was made all the more difficult for it. How were you supposed to find a place in a group when they were all turned against you?

“And now that your dad- I mean Avocato is back?” Sheryl asked, trying to get a feel for the interpersonal dynamics at play.

“Gary’s still my dad. I have two dads again!”

And Sheryl didn’t miss _that_ important detail. “You used to have two dads, before?”

Little Cato’s ears drooped when he registered what he’d let slip. “Um, yeah,” he said quietly. “But my other dad died when I was a baby. I don’t... I don’t really remember anything about him.”

Sheryl could tell that her… god, _grandson_ … was uncomfortable talking about that particular topic. So she decided to drop it.

As she headed back into the ship she heard Little Cato call out, “Can you maybe not tell anyone about that last part? It’s a pretty sore subject for my dad.”

Sore subjects were Sheryl’s specialty. As she stood with her hand on the threshold she said without turning back, “No problem, kid,” and walked inside.

_─── Day 10 ───_

“I’m afraid the ion storm appears to be a long-term phenomenon,” AVA said as gloomily as the ship’s AI was capable of. “There’s no telling when it will be over.”

“Damn it!” Gary bit out. He was starting to go stir crazy. Not even the allure of card games was enough to soothe his desperate-for-stimulation mind.

He was walking through the ship and muttering to himself when he heard a crash coming from one of the bedrooms. He ran towards the source of the noise only to be greeted by the sight of Little Cato and Fox wrestling. Ash was sitting on the bed egging them on. None of them seemed to notice Gary’s presence, too wrapped up in the action.

His alarm at the two of them fighting died when he realized they were both laughing. Huh. It seemed that in the process of being stuck on board, they had bonded. That was welcome news.

Gary was vaguely aware that there was bad blood between Ventrexians and Tryvuulians, but he didn’t know the specifics. For the longest time he watched Little Cato and Fox give each other the cold shoulder. That was, when they weren’t sniping at each other, with poor Ash stuck in the middle.

“I’m gonna get you so, so good! Just you wait!” Little Cato exclaimed as he jumped onto Fox’s back, putting him into a choke hold from behind.

“You wish!” Fox rasped as he threw himself forward, causing Little Cato to fly into the wall. “Hah! You’ll never beat me, Ventrexian!”

“Get him, Little Cato!” Ash cheered.

Gary turned around and walked away. He should probably break it up. Probably. But he was sure they had a lot of pent up energy. He knew he sure did. If play fighting was their outlet, so be it.

_─── Day 12 ───_

Nightfall walked into the mess to see a makeshift projector sheet hung on one of the walls, a movie she was unfamiliar playing on it. Avocato, Little Cato, Gary, Ash, and Fox were all sitting on cushions and pillows on the floor, watching in rapt attention. HUE was hunkered down at the edge of the room, paying attention more to the people than to the movie.

“Not interested in the movie?” Nightfall asked him quietly.

“I’m monitoring the effect that this extended period of isolation is having on Gary,” HUE explained matter-of-factly.

“Oh.” Nightfall hadn’t considered that.

“While not as alone as he was the five years he spent on the Galaxy One, he doesn’t seem to do well with routine.”

“Isn’t that the truth.” Nightfall smiled softly. His spontaneity was one of the things she loved about Gary. Well, _her_ Gary. It had become evident that this Gary was never and would never be hers, as similar as he was. It was a difficult pill to swallow. She sighed.

“And how are you doing?” HUE asked.

“Am I that obvious?” Nightfall chuckled.

“For five years it was my duty to observe Gary. I have become sensitive to the way humans express their emotions. Even the subtle ways.”

“An empathetic robot, huh?” Nightfall deflected.

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” HUE kindly replied.

“It’s been rough. Every day is a reminder of what I had and lost. I love him. Even if we aren’t meant to be I still love him. But I also resent him a little bit. I hate that. I can’t help it, but I hate that I feel that way.”

“But you came back. Even when you were given the chance to leave this all behind.”

“Where there’s a Gary, there’s a Quinn.” Nightfall said. “Like some immutable law of the universe.”

“But you _chose_ to be here,” HUE remarked.

“Yeah.” Nightfall sighed. “I sure did.”

HUE waited for her to continue.

“I guess despite everything, I still feel like this is the closest thing I’ll ever find to a home.”

“A home?”

“Yeah. A home.” Nightfall turned her attention to the others watching the movie. She watched the way the lights played across their faces. The way they all seemed to fit together.

“It’s not just Gary,” she said. “It’s Avocato. He seems dependable. Loyal. He’s good for Gary. So is Little Cato. Never thought I’d say it, but Gary makes a great dad. Ash and Fox are starting to fit in. God knows they needed a _real_ family. There’s even hope for Gary and his mom.”

HUE hummed. “A family.”

“A family,” Nightfall echoed.


	2. Chapter 2

_─── Day 14 ───_

Gary sat with Avocato at the dining table. He cradled a mug of tea made from the local flora. It wasn’t the same as coffee —not by a long shot, he didn’t care what the others said— but it was delicious and did seem to pack a little kick that helped him get through the day. His temporary companion was idly picking through a salad (“No Gary, ventrexians aren’t carnivores. Yes, we eat greens. I don’t care what Little Cato told you.”) while he read something on his comm.

It was a pleasantly lazy day. There weren’t any more repairs to be made, and they had built up a healthy stockpile of fresh food from the surrounding locale. Gary sighed in contentment.

“What’s that?” Avocato asked, concerned.

“Oh, nothing. Just a happy sigh,” Gary said.

“A happy sigh…”

Gary warmed at the idea that Avocato was worried for him. “Yup! Just thinking about how nice it’s been given the circumstances. Now that I think about it this has got to be the lowest stakes emergency situation we’ve ever been in.” He laughed. “Which is kinda messed up when you think about it.”

Avocato did just that. “Huh. I guess you’re right, baby.”

“I certainly don’t mind the company,” Gary teased. He leaned his head in his hand and smiled at the ventrexian opposite him.

Avocato didn’t blush. He didn’t, okay? Though he _had_ been getting mixed signals from Gary ever since they crash landed. Sometimes the human sounded like he was coming on to him. Other times he was distant. It was screwing with Avocato’s head. And then Gary would say something that could be interpreted as flirtatious and he’d have no idea how to respond. 

Avocato felt a pang of guilt as he wondered if Gary took his silence to mean he didn’t like it when Gary talked to him like that. If Gary thought he was being shut down. But Avocato truly had no idea what to say in response, and it was eating him up.

Gary smiled nervously into the silence. “Something I said?”

Oh god that only made him feel a thousand times worse. “No!” he said hastily. “Just thinking about this novel I’m reading.”

“That good, is it?” Gary said, looking curiously at the holographic projection hovering over Avocato’s wrist.

“Riveting,” Avocato said deadpan.

Gary snorted at that. “Sure sounds like it.”

“Well I’m enjoying it. It’s a human story, actually. The language is a bit archaic, but I’m getting through it all right.”

That got Gary’s attention. He leaned over the table to get closer, holding his head in his hands. “Well? What is it?”

“It’s called ‘Pride and Prejudice.’”

Gary screwed up his face.

“What?” Avocato growled.

“Oh! No judgment here! It’s honestly a very good book. Didn’t think you were a romance novel dude is all.”

“Well I didn’t know that it was a romance novel when I started it.” Avocato insisted. He had his defences up. _That simply won’t do_ , Gary thought.

“It’s a good book! You have good taste, my man. Who’s your favorite character so far?”

“Oh.” Avocato was taken aback. “Have you read it?”

“I sure have! So! Favorite character?” Gary grinned at Avocato.

“I’d have to say Mr. Darcy.”

Gary giggled into the crook of his elbow. “Of course you would!”

“What’s wrong with Mr. Darcy? He’s a very sensible and responsible man! He tells it like it is! Not like everyone else who just talks around what they mean.”

“Ahahahahaha! Nothing! Nothing wrong at all haha! Absolutely no projecting happening here!”

Avocato had lost the thread of the conversation. “What?”

Gary took a couple moments to regain composure. “He sure is a sensible man. And a very _handsome_ one at that.” Gary winked at him. _Winked_. Avocato was nonplussed. What the hell was he supposed to do with that?

Avocato was sure there was some deeper meaning behind that statement. But he had never been good at the subtleties of conversation making. It infuriated him, knowing that there were things being said that he could not sense. Like he was the butt of a joke that everyone but him was in on.

He made to get up from the table.

“Woah! Hey hey hey! Sorry if I said something to make you uncomfortable,” Gary said. He patted the top of the table. “Please don’t go, Mr. Darcy.”

Unable to refuse those puppy eyes, Avocato sat back down with a sigh. The two of them spent the next hour in comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional comment on the book by Avocato and witty rejoinder by Gary.

_─── Day 15 ───_

Sheryl walked onto the infirmary hoping to find something for her migraine. She was surprised to see Avocato and Gary there. “Hey, kiddo.”

“Hey mom. Just making some adjustments on my arm.” Gary waved his metal arm.

“Stop moving it!” Avocato hissed.

“Sorry!” Gary said, putting his arm back in a resting position.

Sheryl watched as Avocato poked at an open panel near the shoulder with fine tools. Never in a million years would she have imagined that the ventrexian had such fine motor skills. The kind of surgical precision needed. Avocato had always seemed like more of a blunt object to her. Well, she wasn’t surprised. In two weeks she had learned all sorts of things about the others that she wouldn’t have guessed.

Take, for example, her son. When she first met him for the second time, she was a little disappointed. Sure, he’d managed to survive, no thanks to her. But upon first impression he appeared to be a screw up, just as she was. Like mother, like son. And as far as she could tell her son was constantly getting himself into trouble and just barely managing to keep his head above the water.

But given time, it became clear that the circumstances of Gary’s life were far more complicated than she gave them credit for. He had survived tragedy after tragedy and somehow maintained an unshakable optimism. Part of her was honestly jealous of that. She was jaded. And it felt like she would never break those chains that kept her spirits low. At least the cold indifference of the universe had not done the same to her son. For that she was grateful.

“Okay, that should be it,” Avocato said. “If there isn’t anything else, I’m going to check up on the kids.”

“Heh. That’s probably a good idea dude. No telling what they’re getting up to.” Gary waved his friend off.

Sheryl watched as her son tried moving his arm around with an, “Ooh! Ouch-ouch-ouch!”

“Does it bother you much?” she asked. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t know how her son came to have a robotic arm.

“Eh, not usually. Mostly right after a tune-up. Or if the skin around it gets too dry.” Gary shrugged his shoulders. “But I can’t complain. Avocato did a bang-up job in a tight situation. Can’t ask for more than that.”

“He’s pretty handy, this Avocato of yours,” Sheryl said. She saw the look she got at that. Good. Her intuition that there was something between the two was correct. “Y’know. You never told me how the two of you met.”

Gary hopped from where he was seated. He grabbed a shirt and put it on. “Oh, well that’s a story!”

“Care to share?” Sheryl asked hopefully. This seemed like a good in to getting to know her son better.

“Oh gosh! Where to start?” Gary said. He gave his mom a sly grin. “How about I regale you with the tales over drinks?”

“Can’t say no to that! Lead the way!”

_─── Day 19 ───_

It had been almost three weeks, and the cracks were starting to show. HUE noticed that Avocato was more on edge than usual. Gary was moments away from literally bouncing off the walls. A few times HUE had walked into a room to see Nightfall holding conversations with herself. Sheryl was actually acting friendly, which seemed to unnerve some of the others. The kids for their part were probably coping better than any of the adults. They treated their current set of circumstances as if it were an extended vacation.

Of course, HUE was doing just fine, not that anyone bothered asking him. He wasn’t programmed with any of the psychological imperatives that were driving the biologicals to the edge of sanity. So he was left to observe. Initially it had proven interesting, watching how each individual handled the situation. But now he was growing worried.

He had walked into the mess hall to see Avocato and Sheryl in conversation. They stopped when they noticed his presence, wearing matching expressions of apprehension.

“Don’t mind me,” HUE said. When the other two showed no sign of continuing he sighed and started to leave. He knew that they were probably uncomfortable talking around him. His past as a surveillance program did him no favors in that regard. The only one who seemed not to mind having him around was Nightfall.

Might as well take this opportunity to have some one on one time with AVA. Talking to the ship’s AI was always good fun. She was down to dish out all of the dirty secrets of Clarence and his time as owner of the Crimson Light (“Have I told you about the time he accidentally hypnotized himself into thinking he was a bird? It took Ash and Fox a full day to get him back.”)

As he was about to walk back out HUE could hear giggling coming from the hallway just outside the mess hall. He made sure to give the entrance a wide berth as Little Cato and Ash walked through with purpose. The young ventrexian walked up to his father and held up a jar.

“Hey dad,” he said. “Can you help me open this, please?”

“Sure thing,” Avocato said. He held out his hand for the jar.

Little Cato looked like he was restraining himself as he handed it over, his tail subtly swishing back and forth. HUE was suspicious. Avocato didn’t seem to notice. The moment he twisted the cap off, something from inside the jar sprang at him. Avocato jumped with a hiss, his fur poofing out.

When he collected himself, he picked up the thing that had dared to attack him. It was small, fitting in the palm of his hand. Small and fuzzy, and had what looked like a spring attached to one end. Avocato looked over at Sheryl, who looked like she was hiding a laughing smile behind her hand. “Did you teach him this?” he accused.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, breaking into full-body laughter. Little Cato and Ash joined in.

Avocato turned back to his son. “I’m going to get you for this,” he said, adopting a playful stance.

HUE watched as Little Cato momentarily froze. Right, it was only a couple months ago that a possessed Avocato tried to kill his son. HUE was ready to intervene at a moment’s notice. But then Little Cato grinned and said “You’ll have to catch me first!” as he ran out of the room, his father trailing behind him.

“Know any other pranks?” Ash shyly asked Sheryl with a hopeful smile.

“Oh lord do I ever,” Sheryl said with a wicked grin. “Let’s show you how to jury rig an electric buzzer.”

HUE decided that things would turn out alright.

_─── Day 20 ───_

Fox tended to his garden. It had grown from a single, forlorn looking plant sitting on his desk to a cluster of green and red and yellow and purple that covered his side of the room. Being stranded with not much else to do gave him the perfect opportunity to hone his gardening skills.

“Hello, Rufus!” he said cheerfully to his venus flytrap. He placed a small brown cube of synthesized protein matter into its leafy jaws and watched with fascination as the carnivorous plant closed around it.

“Good morning, Mary!” he said to his marigold as he gave it a sprinkle of water from his miniature watering can.

Fox made sure to greet each and every one of his plants in the morning and to say goodnight to them at night. He had heard somewhere that talking to them helped them grow. It also was an excellent emotional outlet for the young tryvuulian. Though one that wasn’t as necessary as it once was.

Back when it was just him and Ash and Clarence, his world had been small. It was cozy. It was safe. It was enough for him.

But now with Gary and Avocato and Nightfall and Little Cato and HUE, his world had gotten a lot bigger. At first the new environment was overwhelming. The level of sustained social interaction left him exhausted every night. Especially once they crash landed and were stuck together. Getting to know the others better helped alleviate some of that exhaustion. The more he felt comfortable around them and opened up to them, the less energy he expended to be around them.

Still, Fox still needed some time to himself every day, and this was his preferred way of spending it. He hummed as he tended to his plant children.

Little Cato walked into the room. “Oh, hey, Fox,” he greeted his roommate with a brief salute.

Fox still remembered the first time Little Cato walked into the room to see him talking to his plants. Little Cato had laughed, but looked immediately regretful at the hurt on his face. Fox had set up some boundaries after that, not allowing Little Cato in the room when he was tending to his garden. Over time those boundaries fell as Little Cato showed genuine interest in his hobby, even offering to help, which Fox magnanimously declined. His garden was for himself. He wanted to be the one to take care of it.

“How is Rufus doing?” Little Cato asked eagerly. Of course, the carnivorous plant was his favorite. (“It’s a plant that eats animals! How awesome is that?!”)

“I just fed him,” Fox replied.

“Aww, man! I missed it?” Little Cato stood beside him.

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t live food today. I’ll tell you the next time I find a bug for him.”

“Cool!”

Fox finished taking care of his plants in a quiet peace as Little Cato watched. It was nice. He hadn't had many nice things lately. He held onto the memory of this moment.

_─── Day 23 ───_

“Avocatooooo, entertain me.” Gary whined as he draped himself over Avocato’s back. As much as the ventrexian relished the physical contact, he was also starting to grow tired of the other’s antics. Turned out Gary was a very needy person and Avocato had only so much energy to spare for such things.

He sighed. “I’m busy, Gary.”

“Busy with what?” Gary inquired, sounding like no matter what answer Avocato came back with, nothing was more important than giving Gary attention.

“I’m looking at the design files for the transmitter array. Maybe if we can find some way to boost the signal or some alternate frequency or method of transmission, we can get a distress signal through the storm.”

“Turning round and round the widening gyre, something something something things fall apart, the center cannot hold,” Gary said.

Avocato scrunched his face at that nonsense. “What?”

“It’s some Earth poem. Something about the apocalypse.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Yes! Thank you for understanding! Now! Lavish me with attention!” Gary demanded as he rested his chin on Avocato’s head.

“Why can’t you watch one of your Earth movies?” Avocato asked. He tried to concentrate on the diagram on the table in front of him, but his efforts were in vain. He couldn’t focus on anything but the pleasant feeling of Gary’s warm body resting against his.

“I already got through our entire library! Besides, I’m sick of movies! I want my Avocato!”

_My Avocato_. His heart did a flip at that. He could feel his resolve slipping. Damn his soft spot for Gary!

“Fine,” Avocato acquiesced. “Did I ever tell you about my life on Ventrexia, before I was the Lord Commander’s second in command?”

Gary clapped his hands. “Ooh! Ooh! Story time!” He said down in the chair opposite Avocato. He looked attentive as he rested his head in his hands.

Avocato steeled himself. “It gets pretty heavy, baby.”

“Hey,” Gary assured. “I can handle heavy. You’ve been there for me while I’ve been working through things with my mom. Let me be here for you.” He smiled encouragingly at Avocato.

Avocato sighed. It had been a long time since he had opened up about his past. Hell, he didn’t even talk much about it with his own son. But it felt right to tell Gary now. Without the distraction of constantly impending doom he was able to recognize how safe he felt with his friend. He was a little surprised to realize he wanted to tell Gary this. As if holding this back felt wrong to him.

“I was born to a military family,” Avocato began. Gary settled in for what promised to be quite the story.

“Well, more like a clan. In Ventrexian tradition, we raise our young communally.”

“This must be tough for Little Cato, then,” Gary said.

“He didn’t really get to have much of that, so I don’t know if he understands the difference.” Avocato said uncomfortably. “It’s been the two of us for so long. Which is a problem in and of itself. It goes against our instincts.”

“Your instincts?”

“Yes. The nuclear family… it’s not really something we do. At least naturally. It’s something I feel guilty about. Putting Little Cato in that situation.” Avocato looked down at the table.

“Hey,” Gary said, getting Avocato to look at him. “You’re a good dad. And you’re becoming a better dad all the time.”

Avocato gave a small smile at that. “Now that he —we— have you, Nightfall, and the others, it’s beginning to feel more like what a Ventrexian family feels like.”

“I wish I had a family like that,” Gary said, surprising Avocato. “I went so long with just one parent, and then none. It’s been lonely.”

That tugged at Avocato’s heart. “You’ve got _us_ now, baby.”

“Yeah,” Gary’s smile widened. “I do.”

Avocato cleared his throat. “Anyway. I was raised to be a military man. Military service is not compulsory on Ventrexia, but might as well be. So much of our culture is tied to combat prowess. Your tenure in the military reflects on both you as an individual, and on your clan.

“I was the top of the class in my year in Academy. Out of over a thousand. There was a lot of pressure. Not just for my military career, but for my future marriage. It was expected that I would enter into a political marriage that would lift the standing of my clan.”

“Dude. You sound like royalty,” Gary said with wide eyes.

“Political marriages are not uncommon on Ventrexia,” Avocato stated plainly.

“And did you marry anyone?”

“Yes. Two years after graduation and a tour of duty in a remote sector later I returned home to find that a match had been found for me. His name was Guacameowle.”

“ _His_ name,” Gary said softly.

Avocato raised his eyebrows. “Yes. _His_ name. My family was well aware of my… preferences. We were still expected to produce children. In such cases surrogacy is a common option.”

Gary scrunched his face at how business-like this all sounded, but he was resolute in his determination to respect his friend’s culture.

Avocato hesitated. “This doesn’t leave this conversation,” he said seriously.

For once Gary turned off his usual light-heartedness and looked Avocato directly in the eyes. “Of course.”

“Little Cato is biologically Guacameowle’s son. Even he doesn’t know that.”

“Oh.” Gary didn’t know what to say to that. Being trusted with something like that made his heart ache.

“Even though it was a political marriage, Gaucameowle and I came to love each other deeply. He was a lot like you, in some ways.”

Avocato glanced at Gary, whose face grew warm. “Foolishly optimistic and forever a loyal friend.” His voice had an almost dreamy quality. “We were inseparable, which made leaving him all the more difficult.

“Shortly after Little Cato was born Ventrexia was drawn into a war. I was of course conscripted. Over the course of four years I rose the ranks to the command of my own ship, the _Varmakian_. I had made quite a name for myself. I expected to come home to accolades. Instead, I came home to the news that my husband had died of illness a year before. My clan had kept the news from me, worrying that it would negatively impact my performance.

“Naturally, I was angry. I felt I had been betrayed. That was when the rift between me and my clan formed. It was irreparable. I wanted desperately to get off that planet and away from the memory of what I had lost. The moment I was given the opportunity to work for the Lord Commander I took it and Little Cato with me. Taking a child out of their clan was something that simply wasn’t done on Ventrexia. Naturally, I was disowned.”

“That sucks,” Gary said. “Do you miss them?”

“Sometimes, yes. But given a second chance I would do it all the same.”

Avocato sighed. Gary placed a hand over one of his. “Hey. Thanks for sharing that with me. It means a lot. And I’m always here if you need to talk to someone.”

“Sure thing, baby. Thanks for listening. Now let me tell you some embarrassing stories about Little Cato.”

Gary grinned at that.

_─── Day 23 ½ ───_

Gary had a problem. A big, ventrexian shaped problem. Spending so much time in such close proximity with Avocato was torture. He wanted to get all up on that. Shit, he bet Avocato was the best at giving cuddles. Just the thought of being cradled in those arms and running his hands through soft fur had him blushing furiously.

And oh sweet Jebus did it not help that he now knew Avocato’s softer side. They had spent so much time in battle together that it was sometimes easy to forget that his bro was more than an insanely good fighter. Sure, he was a loving father, which Gary already knew. But he had also been a loving husband. _Husband_. Gary’s mind got caught on the word. _Nope. Let’s not go there just yet_.

He knew for sure that his mom had caught on. She was dropping hints left and right. Nightfall was giving them judgmental looks, so she likely knew too. There was no way HUE hadn’t noticed. Little Cato, he was unsure about. For all that he went on about _his two dads_ , it seemed like he was thinking in terms of family of choice rather than anything romantic.

Gary was dying here. He didn’t even know if Avocato felt the same way. The ventrexian was very good at keeping his cards close to his chest.

It was decided. Tomorrow. There was one person he trusted to know Avocato’s feelings more than anyone else. If it was uncomfortable talk time, it was uncomfortable talk time.

_────────────────────────_

Avocato had a problem. This problem had blond hair, a goofy smile, liked to hold impromptu dance parties, and had an unhealthy addiction to coffee and cookies. Not only that, but this problem was also a co-parent of his child. Avocato was, in a word, screwed.

His first instinct was avoidance. But that was proving to be impossible given the current situation. Every time he attempted to put some distance between Gary and himself he was stymied by the other’s seeming omnipresence. Honestly, the human was somehow everywhere at once.

Now that he was really paying attention he was pretty sure that Gary was seeking his company over pretty much every else (save for, possibly, Little Cato.) This had to mean something, right? Avocato would bite the bullet, but he was honestly terrified of the answer he’d find. Especially when he thought of his son, and how much he had taken to Gary. How was there any going back?

He resolved to talk about this tomorrow with the person whose opinion mattered the most to him. God, he just knew this was going to be a disaster.

_────────────────────────_

As Little Cato lay his head down on his pillow, preparing to sleep for the night, he felt an itch deep behind his nose. It grew and grew until he gave what had to be the most epic sneeze in the history of sneezes. He’d be proud if it weren’t so gross.

In the bunk below him the previously slumbering Fox startled to full alertness. “What is it? Who’s there?” he shouted.

“Sorry, dude. It was just a sneeze,” Little Cato said sheepishly.

“Damn, dude. I thought we were under attack. You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m feeling fine. Sorry about that.”

“No problem, man. As long as you’re alright.”

Little Cato yawned. “Thanks. Night, Fox.”

“Night Little Cato.”


	3. Chapter 3

_─── Day 24 ───_

Little Cato had slept so terribly the last night, turning over restlessly and talking in his sleep to the point that Fox had left the room to sleep elsewhere on the ship. So it was only natural that he was enjoying a peaceful midday catnap. He was dreaming about chasing giant butterflies in a windswept meadow when there was a loud noise outside the door.

“Ugh!” he blinked and rolled onto his stomach, pushing his face into his pillow. _I can’t have nice things, can I?_ he thought crankily. For once he regretted that Ventrexians were naturally light sleepers.

“Son?” A deep voice said softly, barely audible through the metal of the door.

Little Cato waited. Maybe the voice would go away and let him go back to sleep.

“Little Cato?” This was followed by a few insistent knocks. “Little Cato? Are you in there?”

“Noooooooo!” Little Cato moaned into his pillow. _Please take the hint!_

A chuckle. “Did I wake you up?”

Little Cato turned his head to face the door. “Sorry. The number you’ve reached is no longer in service,” he said dryly.

“There’s something I’d like to talk with you about. If you’d like, I can come back later?”

“Talk?” Little Cato responded wearily. “Sure. We can talk.” He sat up on the edge of his bed and yawned as the door to his room opened.

Avocato walked in. “Soooooo,” he hedged. He didn’t exactly look enthused to be here, which was always a great sign.

“So,” Little Cato echoed.

Avocato cleared his throat.

Little Cato waited with a level of patience that should have received a special commendation.

“Um,” Avocato said.

Watching his dad be this awkward was giving Little Cato massive second-hand embarrassment. What the heck had the cool, confident former general acting this way? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. A tiny kernel of dread started to form in the pit of his stomach.

“We need to talk,” Avocato said _and dear god was Little Cato going to have to be the adult in this conversation?!_

“Sweet gravy”—(he got that one from Gary)—“will you just come out with it?” He patted the top bunk as he slid over.

His dad hopped up the ladder and sat on the bed next to him. He was hunched over, far too tall for the bunk space. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap. Little Cato’s stomach dropped at that. This really was serious.

Avocato took a deep breath. “So. I know that Gary adopted you while I was… indisposed.”

Little Cato tensed. He had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going.

“And I’m completely okay with that,” Avocato continued. “After all, I asked him to.”

Little Cato started at that. “You did? But you barely knew him.”

“I did. It was a little bit in the heat of the moment, but I trusted him, just as I trust him now. And I’m really glad I did. And that you had a father to look after you. And that you still have him.”

“Oooookay,” Little Cato said. He really wished his dad would get to the point. This was killing him. Laserpistol fights in the middle of a crowded market he could handle, but this awkward tension? _No thank you_.

“And now I’m back and you have two dads.”

“Yes.”

“And it’s been a long time since. You know…”

“I know.”

“But Gary being your dad makes things complicated.”

“No it doesn’t. I have two dads. It’s that simple. Two. Dads.” With those two last words Little Cato counted them out on his fingers.

“Alright. I see your point,” Avocato conceded with a smile. He turned to face his son. “But this arrangement was only supposed to be in the case of my death. Which as it turns out was only temporary.”

Avocato sighed. “What happens when the crew of the Crimson Light splits up? After this is all over?” he asked, giving voice to the worst of his fears. And when had that happened? When did he begin fearing losing his friends — _gods, no. His family_ — than for his life? Than even for defeating Invictus?

“ _What?_ ” Little Cato breathed out. The teen had never considered that possibility. He fought to control his breathing. It just didn’t feel right. Now that his life finally made sense, it wasn’t fair to have that taken away again.

Avocato looked at his son and knew immediately that breaking up the family they had built was simply not an option. God, he would fight to keep that ridiculous human in his and his son’s lives, even if it was as platonic partners. And honestly? He would keep the rest of the crew too. Damnit! They were a family now!

He pulled his son into a hug. “I’m sorry, son! I didn’t mean it like that! Hell! I’m so terrible at this.”

“Language, dad,” his son admonished with a watery voice while nuzzling into Avocato’s chest, his ears pinned back against his head.

 _Shit_ , Avocato berated himself. He needed to come at this from another angle. He waited for his son to calm down before letting him go.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… how would you feel if things were a bit more. Um. Official?”

Little Cato blinked up at him, rubbing at his eyes. “What?”

Avocato rubbed the back of his neck. “Nothing’s happened yet. And I don’t know if it will! But. How would you feel if Gary and I were… together?”

He flinched at the squee his son gave. _Okay!_ That sounded like an adamant yes.

“Are you freaking serious right now!” Little Cato shouted. He wiggled back and forth where he sat, then pulled his father into a tight hug.

“Oof!” The sudden change in his son’s behavior was giving Avocato mental whiplash. “Hey! Don’t get your hopes up yet. Don’t get _my_ hopes up,” he chuckled, letting his son go. “And even if things don’t work out that way, we’ll always be a family. You. Me. Gary. Everyone else too.”

“Oh gosh you don’t even have to worry about that dad! He’s totally into you! Like abso-freakin-lutely to the stars and back for you!”

Avocato felt flustered at that possibility. “Maybe. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

“Oh no! He totally is! Trust me on this one dad!”

Did his son know something he didn’t? “Well let’s let me talk to Gary about this?” Avocato said with his usual caution.

“Sure thing.” Little Cato grinned. “Just don’t take too long, or I’ll do it for you.”

“You better not!” Avocato said, tickling his son’s side.

“Ahahahaha! Stop it! Alright! Alright! I give! I’ll let you take care of it!”

Little Cato watched his father hop down and exit. He grinned and tucked himself back in, glad that he was actually going to get some decent shut-eye and that his dad’s were finally going to get their crap together.

_────────────────────────_

Gary returned to the _Crimson Light_ from a supply run. He was feeling a bit sore, but he was resolved to have that talk he desperately needed to have. He passed by the mess, where Ash and Nightfall were chatting over a board game he was unfamiliar with.

“Any of you see Little Cato around?” he asked.

“I think he’s still in his room–” Ash began.

“Great! Thanks!” Gary interrupted, bounding down the hall and ignoring Ash’s, “–but I think he’s–”

Once he reached the room in question Gary clanked his metal arm on the door and sang out, “~~Little Catoooo; You’re my little tater tottoooo; I love you a lottoooo; and I need to share a thoughtoooo~~”

“Oh my gawwwd!” a voice shout-rasped from the other side. “Go away!”

Gary deflated. Was it the song? It was probably the song. Too much? _Oh my crap!_ Was he one of those super uncool embarrassing parents?

Just as Gary was about to turn and slouch away there was a thump from the inside of the room followed by hurried footsteps. The door swished open to reveal a wide-eyed Little Cato.

“D-did. Did you just say you love me?” the young Ventrexian asked hesitantly.

“Well yeah I guess I did.” Gary smiled.

“Do you mean it?” Little Cato’s eyes were starting to look a little watery.

“Of course I did, Spider Cat. Wait? Was that not obvi–oof!” Gary grunted as Little Cato ran full tilt into him, nearly knocking him to the ground. _Wow! He did not realize Little Cato was that strong!_ He felt arms wrap tightly around his back as his adopted son buried his face in his chest. Gary returned the hug, holding onto his son like his life depended on it. _And didn’t it feel that way sometimes?_

Gary remembered Little Cato saying something about how Avocato never said he loved his son. At least, not explicitly with words. It really seemed to have hit the young ventrexian hard. Well, if words were Little Cato’s love language, then Gary would have to make sure he never went a day without hearing them again.

“I love you,” Gary said quietly, trying not to break down with emotion. He failed, his breath hitching, and before he knew it, the two of them were silently sobbing into each other.

After a minute the two broke apart. Little Cato wiped at his face, saying, “What did you want to talk about?”

Gary fidgeted at that. He looked away. “Yeah, we should probably sit down for this.”

Something about Gary’s behavior was suspiciously familiar. Little Cato regarded his dad. His obvious discomfort, but desperate need to talk all the same. He watched as his dad shifted his weight from foot to foot, never quite seeming on balance.

“Look at me Gary,” Little Cato commanded. Gary did just that at the sound of his name. Little Cato continued, “Is this about my dad?”

“What?” Gary asked. The blush on his face was all the confirmation Little Cato needed.

Little Cato gave him a flat look. “This is about my dad isn’t it?”

“Woah woah hey now! Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Gary laughed nervously.

Little Cato thumped his head into Gary’s chest. “God you two are such dorks. I don’t know why I put up with you.”

“Because you love us,” Gary said.

“And you two love each other.”

Gary choked. “Oh, wow! Well, love is a strong word–”

“Oh my god am I going to have to lock you two in a room together?” Little Cato said, exasperated at the human’s obstinance. Ugh, the two of them really were perfect for each other. He started pushing at Gary, trying to get him to walk down the hallway. “Just talk to him already Thunder Bandit, sheesh.”

“Okay! Okay! I’m going Spider Cat!” Gary said, his back arching where Little Cato was shoving him. Little Cato could feel him stalling, so he pushed even harder, letting his claws poke into Gary.

“Yeowch!” Gary cried out. He immediately started walking without Little Cato’s help, who stalked back to his room. Little Cato took out a magnetic whiteboard from the desk and wrote the words “Do not disturb on pain of death” on it. Then he added a few skulls for good measure. He vehemently slapped the whiteboard on the outside of his door before returning to his bunk.

_────────────────────────_

Avocato was laying down on the soft dirt that surrounded the Crimson Light’s crash site, enjoying the pleasantly warm heat from Persekkia IV’s twin stars. He dozed in and out of consciousness, listening to the humorous _brrrtz_ noises from the native bird-like creatures. Every now and again a breeze rustled the leaves of the trees at the edge of the ship-made clearing. It was a relaxing way to put off the inevitable. He turned to his side as his stomach dropped at the thought. He was dreading talking to Gary even more than he was to Little Cato. Why did it feel like there was so much riding on this?

Thinking back, he realized just how strange it was that Gary and himself fit so well together. They had started off as enemies. As bounty hunter and bounty. Gary was a self-admitted screw-up who tended to get in way over his head. He was rash and quixotic, always believing he could brute force his way into a brighter future.

Avocato like that about him. He had spent so long in rigid hierarchies that he had forgotten what it was like to simply live for oneself. To have any control over your own path. Gary had appeared to unlock some part of himself that had been clawing to be released for some time. Without Gary, he might never have understood just how stifled he was by his circumstances.

And it wasn’t just Avocato. His son also seemed to take to Gary in a way that left him speechless. Watching them interact, you might think they had been family all along. The three of them fit together so naturally it defied all logic.

“Hey,” a voice called out to him, pulling him out of his thoughts. A voice that could only be Gary.

Avocato tensed. “Gary.”

“I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Been here a while.”

“Oh. Uh. Hi.” _Please talk to me Avocado_.

“Hi.” _I don’t know what to do, Gary_.

“Little Cato said I should talk to you…” Gary trailed off.

Avocato sighed and got up into a seated position. He looked at Gary. “Funny. He said the same thing to me.”

“He did?” There was something about Gary’s expression Avocato was unable to parse. “And?”

“And I’m here. So let’s talk.”

Gary sighed and brushed off Avocato's brusqueness, and walked over to sit next to his ventraxian friend. A few moments of tense silence passed by before he pulled his knees to his chest and, staring straight ahead, said, “So I think I like you. Scratch that. Pretty sure I’m in love with you.”

Avocato turned to him, staring. He said nothing.

Gary looked him in the eyes. “Dude. I just confessed to you. Don’t leave a bro hanging.”

“I…” Avocato tried. For some reason words seemed to fail him. He felt paralyzed in place.

“Oh, for crap’s sake!” Gary said, before planting his lips on Avocato’s.

It took only a moment before Avocato responded in kind, wrapping a hand around the back of Gary’s head. Gary sighed in contentment. They closed their eyes and saw stars exploding in and out of existence.

Gary laughed into the kiss, then broke away.

“What?” Avocato asked, arching a wary eyebrow.

“Nothing. Just tickles.” Gary smiled. “Never kissed a cat dude before. It’s different. But in a good way.”

“I’m not a cat,” Avocato said like so many times before, but he was grinning this time.

“No, you’re not,” Gary said. “You’re Avocato.”

And didn’t that just make Avocato’s heart flutter. “So…. Where do we go from here?”

Gary shrugged. “I guess we take it one day at a time. Like everything else.”

Avocato hummed. He took Gary’s hand in his and gave it a kiss. “Love you too.”

“What?” Gary started, having not been paying attention to anything but the soft warmth of Avocato’s hand; the tenderness in his display of affection.

“Just realized I didn’t say it back.”

“Oh! That’s okay!” Gary lifted their joined hands. “I think I get the picture. It’s cool if you’re not the saying it out loud kind of guy.” Gary looked away, then back at Avocato. “But maybe you could make an exception for Little Cato?”

“What?” Avocato frowned, dropping Gary’s hand, which twitched at the loss of contact. “Are you suggesting I don’t–”

“And I’m going to stop you there,” Gary said. He placed his arm on Avocato’s shoulder. “A long time ago, before all of this –actually I think it was right after you died– he told me you never told him you loved him.”

“Oh.” Avocato looked to be wracked with guilt.

Gary gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. “I think deep down he gets it. I truly do. But I think it would be really good for him to hear the words. Not that I’m trying to tell you how to be dad or any–” Gary froze as Avocato gave him a quick peck at the corner of his mouth.

“Thanks for sharing that with me,” Avocato said. He smiled fondly at Gary before leaning his head on his shoulder.

 _Yeah_ , Gary thought fuzzily. _I could get used to this_.

_─── Day 25 ───_

When Avocato and Gary walked into the mess for breakfast the next day the room fell quiet as the others realized they were holding hands. Gary felt his face flush as the seconds ticked by with nobody saying anything. He made to let go of Avocato but the ventrexian only held on tighter.

“Well it’s about damn time,” Sheryl broke the silence.

“I’ll say,” Nightfall added.

Before anyone could say more Little Cato was wordlessly vaulting over the dining table. His hair whipped back as he rushed his dads, pulling them both into a tight hug and smooshing his face between them. “Finally,” he croaked.

Avocato ruffled his son’s hair. He was surprised when Little Cato didn’t protest. “Sorry to make you wait.”

Little Cato pulled back from the hug, deliberately looking each dad in the eyes. “About that. If either of you ever barges into my room while I am sleeping again and it’s not a _real_ emergency. I _will_ claw your eyes out.” He narrowed his eyes and hissed, “Don’t test me.”

His dads chuckled nervously.

Gary sheepishly rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. “Copy that Spider Cat. Loud and clear."

The conversation was lively as Avocato and Gary joined the rest of the crew in their breakfast ritual. Well, everyone was lively save Ash and Fox. Gary couldn’t help but notice that they were oddly distant. He made a note to talk to them later, but for the time being turned his attention back to where his son was animatedly talking about how embarrassing his fathers had been the previous day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happened lol? This was supposed to only be 3 chapters. And now it's going to be 4 and also the beginning of its own series?
> 
> As always, thanks for your patience with my erratic posting schedule :P


	4. Chapter 4

_─── Day 26 ───_

“Hey dad?” Little Cato jumped onto the back of the couch, perched on his feet next to where Gary sat reading AVA’s latest status report.

Gary smiled to himself. Protest as much as they might, but from his (admittedly limited) experience, ventrexians sure acted an awful lot like cats sometimes. “What is it Spider Cat?”

Little Cato fidgeted, his tail twitching from side to side. “Ummm. Could you do a favor for me?”

“Of course! Shoot.”

“Do you think you could talk to Ash and Fox for me?”

Gary turned towards his son with a worried frown. “Why? What about?”

“I think–” Little Cato grabbed his tail, nervously twisting it in his hands. “I think they’ve been avoiding me.” Gary’s heart ached at the misery in his son’s voice.

“Avoiding you? Are you sure?” He placed what he hoped was a reassuring hand on Little Cato’s knee.

“I think so? They don’t really talk to me anymore. And Fox leaves the room whenever I walk in. Even when he’s in the middle of taking care of his plants.”

“That sounds serious,” Gary said. “Any idea what caused this?” he asked, but he had a sinking feeling that he already knew what this was about.

“Not really,” Little Cato said. “I keep trying to think back to if I said or did anything bad but I can’t remember.”

“I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding,” Gary reassured. He stood up and put a hand on Little Cato’s shoulder, pressing down briefly. “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to them.”

Little Cato leaned into the touch. “Thanks, dad.”

“No problem, my little po-tah-to-cato.”

Little Cato scrunched his face. “No.”

Gary grimaced. “No,” he agreed.

_────────────────────────_

Avocato was mopping the floor of the infirmary when Gary briskly walked in.

“Avocato! There you are,” Gary said. He waved his hands around in an animated manner that Avocato knew meant there was something he badly needed to say. _Well, there went his peace and quiet._

“Hey, baby. What’s up?” Avocato said as he reached out and gave Gary’s hand a quick squeeze.

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Avocato sighed. He propped the mop against a counter and sat down in a chair, pulling his boyfriend (!) down into the chair next to his. With Gary, it was an almost guarantee that this pending conversion would not be brief.

It took Gary a few moments to work up the nerve to say, “We’ve known each other for a while now.”

“Sometimes I wish it could have been longer,” Avocato said, earning himself a shy smile and a peck on the cheek.

“And we’re kinda new as a… family? Thingy?”

“A family. Thingy,” Avocato repeated flatly.

“Well I mean–”

“Gary. We have a son together. I don’t know how much more _family_ you can get.”

Gary laughed. “Fair. Anyway, I was wondering, whaddya think about…”

_────────────────────────_

“...take it wrong if we asked them to drop us off at the nearest spaceport?” Fox’s voice could be heard through the door as Gary approached, Avocato trailing behind him.

Gary knocked three times in quick succession. “Hey, kiddos! Got a moment?”

“I guess,” Ash called out.

The door opened with a swish and Gary walked inside. Avocato hesitated in the doorway until Gary rolled his eyes and pulled him inside.

Ash and Fox were sitting side by side on the lower bunk in Ash and Nightfall’s shared room. The way they looked warily at him reminded Gary of just how much they had been through. He internally berated himself. It must have been so awful for them to watch Little Cato (re)gain not one, but two fathers, while in the meantime they lost their only parent.

“How are you holding up?” Gary asked, trying to get a feel for the mood in the room.

“S’fine,” Ash said, noncommittal. Her downturned face and hunched shoulders told a different story.

“Are you sure?” Gary probed. “It’s okay if you’re not.”

“I mean, who among us is okay?” Ash joked, but it wasn’t very convincing.

“I could really use a change of scenery,” Fox said.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Avocato said. Ash and Fox seemed to startle at the reminder of his presence.

Gary looked back at Avocato, who nodded encouragingly. “I know that things have been difficult for you,” he began. He pulled the desk chair opposite the teenagers and sat down, leaning forward and resting his hands on his knees. “And I’m not just talking about our current predicament.”

“Nothing we can’t handle,” Fox said proudly. Ash gave him a brief smile.

“But maybe you shouldn’t have to handle things on your own,” Gary said.

“Well maybe we wouldn’t have to if people didn’t leave us,” Fox growled, his voice rising in frustration.

Gary reached a hand out to reassure Fox but it was batted away.

“Fox!” Ash exclaimed.

“No! I’m sick of this!” Fox shouted, his voice breaking. He was shaking. “I’m sick of people leaving! As soon as we’re not useful to them they just go away!” His voice grew small and quiet. “People keep leaving me.”

Ash curled an arm around his back and rested her head against his side. “I’m never going to leave you,” she said forcefully. “No matter what happens, okay?”

“Yeah,” Fox sniffed. “Okay.”

“We’re not going to leave you,” Gary said softly. Avocato walked forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“You can’t promise that,” Fox said sadly.

“Actually, we can,” Avocato said. “And we will, if you’ll have us?”

“What do you mean?” Ash asked.

“We’ll have to wait until we can get to an inhabited planet before we can make it official, but we would like to adopt you,” Gary said. He coughed. “If that’s something you’d want.”

“Really?” Ash looked hopefully at Gary, then Avocato.

“Absolutely,” Gary said with his classic openness and confidence.

“But you already have a kid,” Fox hedged.

“Plus two makes three.” Gary beamed at Avocato, who smiled back. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

“I know having a ventrexian as a dad might be a little awkward,” Avocato chuckled nervously, looking at Fox. “But I’d be more than happy to raise you as my own.”

Gary winced. _Oh my crap! Didn’t think about that!_ For a few seconds there seemed to be a thrum of tension between the ventrexian and the tryvuulian, forged by centuries of animosity. He watched as Fox stiffly stood up and walked up to Avocato. All eyes were on the two of them.

The breath seemed to leave the room as Gary counted each heartbeat. He debated internally whether he should say something, or whether that would only make things worse. Without warning Fox pulled Avocato into a tight embrace, the ventrexian slapping his arm as he tried to breathe.

“Dad?” the tryvuulian said, testing the word in his mouth. 

“A little tight there, son,” Avocato strained to say.

“Sorry!” Fox said as he loosed his grip, but only just.

From her spot on the bed Ash giggled wetly, then her eye grew wide when Gary stood up with his arms outstretched. She got up and rushed into the hug, a tear falling down her cheek.

Gary held on for all he was worth.

“Welcome home.”

_─── Day 27 ───_

Sheryl was sitting in the pilot’s seat with her feet resting on the console, whittling a block of wood. The sounds of boots rapidly thumping on metal approached the bridge. She sighed as she put down her work and turned the seat around to see Little Cato’s face only inches away.

“Gah!” She screamed. Little Cato was grinning at her like the Cheshire Cat. It was unnerving to say the least. She waited for him to say something, but all that came from him was a barely audible, excited _eeeeee_. “Wha–”

“Guess who’s got two new grandchildren!” The ventrexian boy shouted at her, making her flinch.

“What?” she said, but Little Cato was already running out of the bridge. “What?” she said even louder.

Sheryl sat there for a minute, completely dumbfounded. “Gary!” she bellowed.

_─── Day 28 ───_

“I can’t believe Gary keeps picking up more kids,” Sheryl said to Nightfall.

The two of them were going for a walk in the morning “sun”. The virtualazium had been converted to simulate the day/night cycle of Persekkia IV as it would appear from beyond the veil of the ion storm, which only let sunlight through intermittently. Little Cato and his dads had been able to make the change while drastically reducing the power required to run the machine. Still, the crew was only afforded one hour a day total so their time was strictly rationed.

“Heh, that’s Gary for you,” Nightfall said. “He has so much love to give, and so little hesitation to give it.”

Sheryl frowned. “I can see that.” She was working with her son on repairing their relationship, but there was still a long way to go. After all she had done, it still made her uncomfortable whenever he turned his affection towards her. It felt unearned.

Nightfall also looked subdued. Sheryl watched her as they walked.

“And what about you? Are you a part of this family now?” Sheryl prodded.

“I suppose, in some way I am,” Nightfall said with a sigh. She turned a sly eye to her walking buddy and tapped her nose with her index finger. “Though I think this family isn’t quite done growing just yet.”

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?” Sheryl asked in alarm.

“You’ll find out.”

Before Sheryl could press her further, Gary walked into the room with his boyfriend and children. Little Cato was chatting up a storm with his new siblings. Avocato was staring dreamily at her son. It was the perfect picture of a family.

“Hey mom,” Gary said. “Can we tap in?”

“Of course,” Nightfall answered for her, obviously taking the out and leaving.

Sheryl sighed. So much for answers. “Have fun, kiddos.”

She watched from the door as Little Cato told Gary that he was going to show him “how to take a proper nap in the sun, _Ventrexian Style_.” The group sat down and quickly merged into a cuddle pile, Avocato arranging Gary in his arms, Little Cato crawling over their legs, Fox and Ash curling up at their feet. It was offensively adorable.

 _Some day_ , she thought.

_─── Day 30 ───_

The crew was gathered together for their usual breakfast routine. _Well, not quite so usual_ , HUE remarked as he watched Avocato and Gary exchange a fond kiss while Little Cato lobbed a breakfast roll at Ash, who caught it with her telekinesis and threw it back at him, hitting him square in the forehead. The young ventrexian fell backward off the bench with a meow. Fox was talking about his garden to Nightfall and Sheryl, who listened patiently.

What the crew didn’t know was that the two AIs had had a couple wagers going on. HUE had won the bet on when Avocato and Gary would get together, guessing under by only a day. AVA, however, had correctly guessed that the two in turn would adopt Ash and Fox before the ion storm ended. In the end, they called it even and spent the rest of the day reminiscing.

In the middle of HUE’s reverie, AVA’s voice came over the speaker. “Attention.”

Everyone immediately quieted down, waiting for bad news.

“Based on my atmospheric readings, the ion storm appears to be dissipating. We should be cleared for engine restart in no more than fourteen hours.”

The mess erupted in cheers. Some food was definitely flung around.

“Freaking finally!” Gary shouted. Next to him Avocato winced.

“We’ve been stuck here foreverrrrr,” Ash complained, resting her head on the table.

“Pffft,” Little Cato scoffed as he sat back down at the table. “Amateurs. Try being trapped on this ship for sixty years. Then get back to me. And let me tell you, my imaginary versions of all of you were a lot less annoying.”

Everyone turned to stare in horror at him.

“Ohmygod it was a joke!” Little Cato cried out. “Stop looking at me like I’m going to break any second!”

The rest of the table slowly broke into awkward, then genuine laughter, their hardships apparently forgotten.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Avocato asked his son over the din.

Little Cato rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, dad.”

“You can talk to us if anythings bothering you,” Gary added.

“Oh just kill me now!” Little Cato whined into his hands as only a teen could. “Honestly, you two can be a bit much, you know?”

His dads looked at each other. “I know,” they said in unison. Then they started to get dopey grins on their faces. Little Cato blanched.

“Hey did I miss anything?” a supremely annoying voice asked as it entered the mess.

“KVN? Noooooooooooo!” Gary screamed in abject horror.

“Aww, you missed me,” KVN crowed as he flew up to Gary, giving him a pat on the head. KVN’s exterior was covered in dirt and paint. His top was adorned with a colorful wreath of flowers.

“I totally forgot he was gone. Did anyone else forget he was gone?” Little Cato asked, soliciting nods from around the table.

“Well I’m back, baby!” KVN said. He mimed giving Gary a kiss. “Mwah! It’s good to see my besties again!”

Gary jumped up from the table and started chasing KVN around the room. “Don’t you ever do that again, KVN!”

KVN cackled as he flew around in circles. “Besties! Besties!”

“What is that?” Sheryl asked, warily eyeing a small bipedal frog-like creature that was standing in the doorway. It was wearing a robe of some kind. It croaked at her, taking her aback. Three more of the creatures hopped up behind it.

“Oh!” KVN explained, “I got lost in the woods and was wandering around for days.” He flew over to the robed creature, which bowed low. “Then I met these little fellas. I think I’m their god now.”

“What?” Gary asked, aghast.

“I told them all about you guys,” KVN said, flying up to Gary and wrapping an arm around his neck. “They think you’re my wife, by the way.”

“God damn it KVN!” Gary shouted, not hearing Little Cato’s “Language, dad” as he chased KVN out of the room to the sound of laughter.

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, y'all! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> The series will continue with a short account of KVN's adventures parallel to the events of this fic, followed by a multi-chapter fic that takes place after the finale of season 2.


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